WATERTOWN, WI — The Watertown City Council voted to reduce funding to the Watertown Public Library, cutting money from the city's contribution to the library's budget despite strong community opposition and concerns about service impacts.
The council initially proposed cutting $140,000 from the library's budget, but a last-minute effort reduced the cuts to $100,000. Several residents spoke in support of the library during the council meeting, with none supporting the proposed reductions.
"There are so many other areas that could be cut proportionally instead of just taking all the money, that huge chunk away from the library," said Patti Gossett, a frequent library visitor.
The funding reduction could force significant service cuts, according to library board member Tom Kohls.
"Because of that, we're talking about some major cuts, could be like one day a week, it could be people being cut, we're talking about not buying any more books," Kohls said.
Alderman Fred Smith, who offered the budget amendment to reduce the city's contribution, argued the library should use its fund balance to offset the cuts. During the meeting, Smith said the library's total fund balance after 2025 is estimated to exceed $500,000, money he believes can be reallocated to other city needs.
Watch: Watertown Common Council compromises on budget cuts, reducing the amount cut from the library
However, library supporters disagree with prioritizing other areas over library services.
"It made me feel sad that our common council doesn't prioritize education and learning and support our library," Gossett said.
Library leaders plan to discuss how to move forward with the finalized cuts during their meeting on Thursday.
This story was reported on-air by Brendyn Jones and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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